Swimming fins



B. W. BRION SWIMMING FINS April 25, 1967 Filed 001:. 20, 1965 R. m E V W BENJAMIN W 3210 United States Patent 3,315,286 SWIMMING FINS Benjamin W. Brion, 7233 Emerson Ave. S., Richfield, Minn. 55423 Filed Oct. 20, 1965, Ser. No. 498,662 11 Claims. (Cl. 9-304) This invention relates to swimming fins and more particularly to an improved reversible swimming fin which permits simple reversibility of the fin portion for walking or swimming usage.

The conventional swimming fin is well recognized as being awkward for walknig, both in and out of water, and consequently it is the practice of the user to put them on and take them off upon entering and leaving the water. In shallow Water and in other than a swimming mode of operation, the fin portion offers considerable resistance to the users movement because of the length and width of the same. Attempts have been made in the past to collapse the fin portion, make it detachable from the shoe, and reverse it from .a forward to a reversed or heel position to facilitate walking in the fin by the user. These prior swimming fins have resulted in complex and expensive structures. In general, these prior swimming fin designs also result in structures which are not sufficiently rigidly attached to the shoe for effective swimming. In the case of the reversible swim fin, these prior devices have required rather complex locking and releasing arrangements for reversing fin position. Whenever such locking devices, such as pins, are located in the shoe portion of the fin, stress is concentrated at these points on the shoe and result in damage such as tearing and wear with fin usage. Further, the adjustment required to shift fin position in such devices hampers the user and limits the mobility of the user in making the transition from a swimming to a walking position for the swimming fin.

The present invent-ion is directed to an improved reversible swimming fin which may be readily moved from the swimming to walking position without requiring extensive adjustment. This adjustment may be effected merely by movement of the feet of the user in pivoting a bracket which holds the fin in either position. This improved swimming fin design is simple in construction, may be readily incorporated into conventional rubber shoe portions for swimming fins and provides for ease in usage of the same. Further, the swimming fin is simple in design and economical in construction, making it readily available for the average user. Since the improved design does not concentrate stress at any point on the shoe portion of the swimming fin, long life for the swimming fin is achieved. Further, the swimming fin permits the removal of the fin portion from the shoe portion, if desired.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved reversible swimming fin.

Another object of this invention is to provide in an improved reversible swimming fin means for holding the fin portion of the swimming fin in a swimming or Walking position which permits ready adjustment for movement between such positions.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved reversible swimming fin having an arrangement of parts which places no stress on the shoe portion of the fin to damage the same in either the swimming or walking position and which permits ready disconnection of the fin portion from the shoe portion of the swimming fin.

A final object of this invention is to provide an improved reversible swimming fin which is simple in design, economical to manufacture, is readily adjustable for usage and requires no maintenance.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached description together with the drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view of the improved swimming fin with the fin portion in the swimming position with parts in section,

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the swimming fin as shown in FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation view of the improved swimming fin in the walking position,

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of a portion of the swimrning fin of FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the fin portion of the swimming fin taken along the lines 5-5 in FIG- URE 2.

The improved reversible swimming fin is shown in the drawings as including a rubber shoe, indicated at 10, having a foot opening 12 and a heel and toe portion indicated generally at 14 and 15 respectively. Mounted on and attached to the shoe portion of the swimming fin is the fin, indicated generally at 11. The fin includes a pair of side rails or arms 20, 21 with an interconnecting web 23 positioned therebetween. Arms 20, 21 or the side rails extend beyond the web 23 as it joins the shoe 10 such that the arms terminate intermediate the toe and heel portions 14 and 15 of the shoe on either side thereof and with the web portion being curved, as at 24, to follow the contour of the heel and toe portions of the shoe. The shoe 10 is preferably made of a pliable rubber material adapted to fit and conform to the human foot and the web or fin portion may be preferably made of a molded plastic material, although other materials may be utilized for this purpose.

Positioned within the shoe 10 intermediate the heel and toe is a U shaped bracket 35 which extends across the base of the shoe and has upstanding flanges 34 with apertures 36 therein. This bracket may be molded into the shoe portion 10 or may be inserted through slots in the shoe portion, such as indicated at 37, to extend across the base of the shoe with the upstanding brackets 34 extending upwardly along the side thereof. The extremities at the arms or rails 20, 21 carry a pair of mounting pins 40, having a shoulder 41 thereon which pins are secured to the extremities of the arms or rails 20, 21 remote from the web 23 through suitable screw means such as is indicated at 42. The diametrical dimension of the shoulder portions 41 of the pins corresponds with the diametrical dimension of the holes 36 in the upstanding bracket 34 such that the pins may fit through the holes and pivot the fin portion on the bracket 35. The bracket 35 is preferably made of a metallic material which is flexible such that the upstanding flanges 34 thereof may be inwardly deflected to receive and mount the pins 40 in the arms 20, 21. In this mounting position, fin 11 is pivotally mounted on the shoe 10 at the bracket 35 such that it may be moved from a forward position in which the fin 11 extends forward of the toe of the shoe to a reversed position in which the fin extends rearward of the heel portion of the shoe such as is indicated in FIGURE 3. The curved intersurface 24 of the web 23 extends below the toe portion 15 of the shoe (see FIGURES 1 and 2) in the forward or swimming position and this curved portion is so shaped and related to the pivot pins 40 and the bracket 35 such that in the rearward position of the fin 11, the curved portion 24 will just clear the heel portion 14 of the shoe.

The swimming fin or the fin 11 is held in the forward or swimming position by means of a bracket 45 which is generally U shaped in form and is connected between the side rails 21, 22 through suitable pivoting pins or screws 46, 47 respectively. This bracket 45 may be made of the same material as the fin and the depending flanges of the bracket 45 are curved, such as is indicated at 48, on one edge thereof to permit rotation of the bracket relative to the side rails. The bracket is pivotally mounted between the side rails on the pins 46, 47 such that the bracket may be rotated to clear the upper surface of the toe portion 15 of the shoe. It will be rotated in the forward direction until it engages the surface of the web 23 of the fin to define a limit of movement which permits the fin to be moved from the forward position to the rearward position, as will be hereinafter noted. Bracket 45 has a rectangular corner adapted to engage the surface of the web between the side rails, such as is indicated at 50, to define a stop position for a bracket in which the bracket is positioned normal to the extent of the side rails 20, 21. Further, the bracket 45 has a spring member 52 connected to the bracket through a suitable hole 53 therein which spring is wound around the pivot pins 46, 47 with the opposite extremity of the springs engaging the surface of the web, as at 55. Thus the bracket will normally be biased to an upstanding position normal to the side rails and with the fin in the forward position, the bracket will overlie the toe portion 15 of the shoe with the curved portion 24 of the web being positioned below the toe to secure the fin in the forward or swimming position. In this position, the fin 11 bears a slight inclination to the foot surface of the shoe for the most efiicient swimming position. Also in this position, the fin 11 is held rigidly on either side of the toe of the shoe and is pinned to the upstanding portions 34 of the bracket 35 such that the fin will be rigidly attached to the shoe 10.

Whenever it is desired to rotate or reverse the position of the fin with respect to the shoe, the bracket 45 is rotated forward, such as with the heel of the foot of the wearer, until the bracket 45 clears the toe portion 15 of the shoe at which point the entire fin may be pivoted on the side rails 21, 22 at the pivot pins 40 positioned in the holes 36 of the bracket 35 to reverse the position of the fin with respect to the shoe. In the reverse position, the bracket 45 in the normal or bias position with respect to the side rails rests underneath the heel portion 14 of the shoe with the curved portion 24 of the web frictionally engaging the heel portion of the shoe to secure the fins in a walking position. The heel portion 14 of the shoe may include a small protrusion or ridge 60, shown in phantom in FIGURE 1, molded therein for the purpose of frictionally engaging the curved portion 24 of the web 23 in the heel portion for frictionally holding the fin in the backward or reverse position of the heel for walking purposes, if desired. Normally the frictional engagement between the curved portion 24 of the heel will be sufficient for this purpose.

The improved swimming fin may be disassembled, that is, the fin 11 may be removed from the shoe 10 by deflecting the upstanding brackets 34 of the U-shaped bracket member 35 to allow for the alignment of the shoulder portions 41 of the pins 40 thereon to clear the holes 36 in the upstanding portions, permitting disengagement of the pins 40 from the holes and removal of the fin 11. The ridge 41 provides for a slight clearance between the main body of the pin 40 and the hole 36 such that this relationship will retain the pins Within the holes 36 of the upstanding brackets during swimming and walking operation and the fin 11 will not be removed from the shoe unless the bracket 35 is deflected as described above.

This improved swimming fin may be readily moved from the forward to reverse position and back by the wearer without removal of the shoes from his feet or by extensive use of the hands requiring bending of the person wearing the same. This may be done merely by deflecting the bracket 45 of each fin with the heel or toe of the opposite foot such that the bracket will clear the toe portion 15 of the shoe and the fin may in this position be rotated by the heel of the opp site f t to t e reverse p ition. The same procedure may be utilized on the opposite foot using either heel or toe for moving the bracket 45 against the bias of the spring 52 to permit clearance of the bracket with the toe portion of the shoe. In the reverse position, the fin may be moved forwardly or rotated forwardly merely by overcoming the friction-a1 engagement between the heel and the web. As the bracket 45 in the upstanding position engages the lower surface of the shoe, it will be deflected forward and slide around the toe portion to latch or come to rest in the normal position with respect to the side rails above the toe of the shoe. Thus, the wearer of the swimming fins may effect change from the swimming to walking position without requiring the extensive use of his hands or any use of his hands, if desired. This facilitates ready maneuverability in the water and transfer of his fins from the swimming to the walking position as the wearer approaches the shallow water and on land to facilitate movement of the wearer under these conditions.

While we have shown the improved reversible swimming fins as incorporating particular types of material for the preferred embodiment, it will be understood that the the shoe may be made of any material suitable for accommodation of the human foot and similarly the fin including the side rails 20, 21 and the web 23 may be formed of separate or integral parts and of varying materials. Further, the U-shaped bracket 35 with the pivot holes or pivot means therein may be formed integral with the shoe or may be positioned through notches in the shoe as desired.

Therefore, in considering this invention, it should be remembered that the present disclosure is intended to be illustrative only and the scope of the invention should be determined only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A reversible swimming fin combination comprising, a shoe having a heel and toe portion and adapted to fit over and cover a human foot, a fin having a pair of elongated side rails forming a spaced longitudinal support and a web portion extending therebetween and connected to said side rails, said side rails extending beyond said web portion and adapted to fit around the toe of the shoe portion, pivot means included in said shoe intermediate the heel and toe portions, means connecting said side rails of the fin on either side of said shoe at said pivot means such that the web portions extends downwardly from the toe of the shoe portion when the fin is pivoted forward of the toe portion and such that said web portion clears the heel of the shoe portion when the fin is pivoted in toward the heel of the shoe portion, and a U-shaped bracket means pivotally mounted on and between said side rails, said bracket means being adapted to pivot over the toe portion of the shoe and rest on the top side of the toe portion to secure the fin in the forward position, the fin when pivoted to the heel of the shoe portion having the bracket means located on the under side of the heel portion of the shoe.

2. The reversible swimming fin combination of claim 1 and including a spring biasing means connected to the bracket means on the side rails to bias said bracket in a position away from the toe portion of the shoe.

3. A reversible swimming fin combination of claim 2 in which the shoe portion is made of a pliable material.

4. The reversible swimming fin combination of claim 3 in which the fin including the side rails and the web therelbetween are integral and are made of a plastic materla 5. The reversible swimming fin combination of claim 3 in which the web portion between the side rails is curved to fit around the toe and heel portions of the shoe.

6. The reversible swimming fin combination of claim 5 in which the pivot means includes a bracket formed integral with the shoe and located intermediate the heel and toe portions thereof which mounts the pivot members of the side rails.

7. The reversible swimming fin combination of claim 6 in which the heel portion of the shoe has a deformable stop means integral therewith over which the web portion pivots and is frictionally engaged to retain the fin with the bracket means located under the heel portion of the shoe.

8. The reversible swimming fin of claim in which the pivot means in the bracket is a hole therein and the means connecting the side rails of the fin to either side of the shoe includes pins secured thereto and positioned through the hole with shoulder portions on the pins to prevent disengagement.

9. The reversible swimming fin of claim 8 in which the bracket is deflectable such that the pins may be removed from the holes in the brackets to disengage the fin from the shoe.

10. A reversible swimming fin combination comprising, a shoe having a heel and toe portion and adapted to fit over and cover a human foot, a fin having a pair of elongated side rails forming a spaced longitudinal support and a web portion extending therebetween and connected to said side rails, said side rails extending beyond said web portion and adapted to fit around the toe portion of the shoe, pivot means included in said shoe intermediate the heel and toe portions, means connecting said side rails of the fin on either side of said shoe at said pivot means such that the web portion extends downwardly from the toe portion of the shoe when the fin is pivoted forward of the toe portion and such that said web portion clears the heel portion of the shoe when the fin is pivoted in toward the heel portion of the shoe, and means pivotally mounted on and between said side rails, said last named means being adapted to pivot over the toe portion of the shoe and rest on the top side of the toe portion to secure the fin in the forward position, the fin when pivoted to the heel portion of the shoe having the said last named means located on the under side of the heel portion of the shoe.

11. A reversible swimming fin combination comprising, a shoe having a heel and toe portion and adapted to fit over and cover a human foot, a fin having a pair of elongated side rails forming a spaced longitudinal support and a web portion extending therebetween and connected to said side rails, said side rails extending beyond said web portion and adapted to fit around the toe portion of the shoe, pivot means included in part in said shoe intermediate the heel and toe portions thereof and in part in said side rails of said fin to mount said fin on said shoe such that said Web portion extends downwardly from the toe portion of the shoe when the fin is pivoted forward of the toe portion and such that the web portion clears the heel portion of the shoe when the fin is pivoted toward the heel portion of the shoe, and means pivotally mounted on and between said side rails, said last named means being adapted to pivot over the toe portion of the shoe and rest on the top side of the toe portion to secure the fin in the forward position, the fin when pivoted to the heel portion of the shoe having the said last named means located on the under side of the heel portion of the shoe.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,068,499 12/1962 VonBiskupsky 9-309 MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner. P. E. SAUBERER, Assistant Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No 3 ,315 ,286 April 25 1967 Benjamin W. Brion It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

for ortions" read ortion P Column 4, line 46,

column 5, line 6, for "claim in" read claim 6 Signed and sealed this 14th day of November 1967.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD J. BRENNER Edward M. Fletcher, 11'.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

10. A REVERSIBLE SWIMMING FIN COMBINATION COMPRISING A SHOE HAVING A HEEL AND TOE PORTION AND ADAPTED TO FIT OVER AND COVER A HUMAN FOOT, A FIN HAVING A PAIR OF ELONGATED SIDE RAILS FORMING A SPACED LONGITUDINAL SUPPORT AND A WEB PORTION EXTENDING THEREBETWEEN AND CONNECTED TO SAID SIDE RAILS, SAID SIDE RAILS EXTENDING BEYOND SAID WEB PORTION AND ADAPTED TO FIT AROUND THE TOE PORTION OF THE SHOE, PIVOT MEANS INCLUDED IN SAID SHOE INTERMEDIATE THE HEEL AND TOE PORTIONS, MEANS CONNECTING SAID SIDE RAILS OF THE FIN ON EITHER SIDE OF SAID SHOE AT SAID PIVOT MEANS SUCH THAT THE WEB PORTION EXTENDS DOWNWARDLY FROM THE TOE PORTION OF THE SHOE WHEN THE FIN IS PIVOTED FORWARD OF THE TOE PORTION AND SUCH THAT SAID WEB PORTION CLEARS THE HEEL PORTION OF THE SHOE WHEN THE FIN IS PIVOTED IN TOWARD THE HEEL PORTION OF THE SHOE, AND MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON AND BETWEEN SAID SIDE RAILS, SAID LAST NAMED MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO PIVOT OVER THE TOE PORTION OF THE SHOE AND REST ON THE TOP SIDE OF THE TOE PORTION TO SECURE THE FIN IN THE FORWARD POSITION, THE FIN WHEN PIVOTED TO THE HEEL PORTION OF THE SHOE HAVING THE SAID LAST NAMED MEANS LOCATED ON THE UNDER SIDE OF THE HEEL PORTION OF THE SHOE. 